IPL 2021: Virat Kohli becomes first batsman to complete 6000 IPL runs

The Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli has become the first batsman to scale the mountain of 6000 runs in the IPL history.

Kohli achieved the milestone during Royal Challengers Bangalore’s dominating 10 wickets win against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Wednesday.

Kohli scored a fine knock of 72 runs off just 47 balls as RCB chased down 178 with 10 wickets and 21 balls to spare. The talisman first completed his fifty and then scored a boundary off Chris Morris to get to the landmark of 6000 IPL runs. Kohli has achieved the feat in 188 innings and he is one of the most consistent batsmen in the IPL.

The linchpin has now scored 6021 runs at an impressive average of 38.35 and a strike rate of 130.69. Kohli has scored five hundreds in the IPL and has also racked up 40 fifties.

Meanwhile, Devdutt Padikkal was at his absolute best for RCB. The southpaw opener was aggressor in the partnership and took the attack to the opposition. In fact, Kohli played the second fiddle in the alliance, which is not often the case. However, Padikkal was timing the ball to perfection and did a fine job for the team.

The left-hander scored an unbeaten knock of 101 runs off 52 balls as he scored at a blistering strike rate of 192.23 with the help of 11 fours and six sixes. Padikkal reached the three-digit mark off just 51 balls and thus scored the fastest hundred by an uncapped Indian player. Before Padikkal, Paul Valthaty and Manish Pandey were the only uncapped Indian batsmen to have scored an IPL hundred.

Furthermore, the opening alliance of 181 runs between Kohli and Padikkal is the best first-wicket partnership for RCB. The duo broke the previous record of Chris Gayle and Tillakaratne Dilshan, who had scored 167 against Pune Warriors India in 2013.

RCB have made four wins out of four matches and they will look to continue the good show.